Laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a need to drain?

The authors summarize their experience about the use of a drain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy. After an initial period without drainage, the drain is now routinely used by the Authors and their clinical experience suggests that it is probably very useful during the initial training and probably prevented some reoperations when biliary leakage and/or small hemorrhage from the gallbladder bed were present. Therefore the opinion of the Authors is to always drain after laparoscopic cholecystectomy, specially during the initial experience or after a particularly difficult operation.